On July 11th, 2015 at the Astronomical League Conference (ALCon) in Las Cruces, NM the Back Bay Amateur Astronomers club were chosen as one of the ten
recipients of a telescope for the Astronomical Leagues contest for the Horkheimer Library Telescope Program. This event
inspired our club members to follow in the footsteps of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society and their efforts to put a
telescope in every public library in New Hampshire. This program will allow the BBAA to expand our outreach efforts in a unique way and live up to our club motto of "Bringing
Astronomy to the People of Hampton Roads". The goal of our club is to put at least one loaner telescope in each library in Hampton Roads. If you would like to help us with that goal
please consider making a tax deductible donation to our club.

The BBAA's First Library Telescope Dedication

On September 19th, 2015 the Back Bay Amateur Astronomers donated the modified Orion 4.5" telescope to the
Virginia Beach Public Library Princess Anne branch. The library administration
decided to move the telescope to the MEO Central Library due to space considerations. Visitors interested in checking out the telescope can inquire about it at the MEO Central
Library or by calling them at (757) 385-0150.

Interested in Participating in the Library Telescope Program?

The Library Telescope program has proven to be an highly successful program at locations where it has been implemented. If your
library is interested in developing a Library Telescope Program at your location but don't know how to begin please contact our
Outreach Coordinator or info (at) backbayastro (dot) org.
The BBAA can either direct your organization where to buy a fully modified telescope or we can modify the telescope your organization purchases for you. We can then provide
guidance and a checklist to your staff on how to inspect the telescope for damage. Occasionally the telescopes will need to be collimated or repaired and our club members can
assist your organization with the upkeep of the telescopes.